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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26843164">I Can't Help It</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/zambietrashart/pseuds/zambietrashart'>zambietrashart</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Phanfics (get it? please don't scroll past I'm sorry!) [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Julie and The Phantoms (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alex and Carrie is the main relationship here, Alex is a queen, Bobby adopts his friend, F/M, I need a man like Willie in my life, I need dirty candy alex, I only fall in love with fictional characters, I'm lonely can you tell, Luke is sort of a dick in this, M/M, The boys can be seen if they want to be, alex is my child, bobby helps Alex in the show in my opinion before Alex died, bobby is a good dad, bobby treats Alex like his son, boy knows how to move, don't matter, it just happens, ok back to the actual story, or a girl, out of character characters duh, ranting in the tags, shy alex, willie is missing for like the first chapter and the second and the third but whatever</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 13:08:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,718</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26843164</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/zambietrashart/pseuds/zambietrashart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex is worried, he’s worried for the future, his past, Willie, the band. He’s so worried that when he goes out to find himself and starts missing practice, he gets kicked from the band. It’s not like they had been friends for years and Alex doesn’t have a place to stay, except that’s exactly what it looks like. Alex goes to stay with a friend and may even end up making a new friend.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alex &amp; Bobby | Trevor Wilson, Alex &amp; Carrie Wilson, Alex (Julie and The Phantoms) &amp; Original Male Character(s), Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Bobby | Trevor Wilson &amp; Carrie Wilson, Flynn/Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina/Luke Patterson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Phanfics (get it? please don't scroll past I'm sorry!) [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1958104</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>68</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Start of Something Incredible</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>You thought the first chap was going to be the start of something new. Well it kind of is for me, I've only ever written to betaed fit in one fandom so expanding my writing is probably going to help things out a little. Yeah but if you couldn't tell by my unhelpful tags this is a story about Carrie and Alex being friends and helping each other and all the other relationships are sort of in the background in the beginning. But I hope you guys like it and stick around for more chapters with probably really inconsistent updates. (I have so much shit to do man, I have to work on my fit with over 10,000 reads I feel pressured bro, pressured.)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Alex was late, again. It wasn’t his fault, he was having fun in his newly visible body. He was having a new kind of fun in the LA scene, one that his friends couldn’t really give him and that was why he was having this conversation right now with two of his oldest friends and one new friend that he thought loved him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alex, you’re kidding right, this is the sixth time you’ve been late for practice,” Luke said getting in his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I get it but maybe we shouldn’t be having so many practices cause maybe it’s taking a lot out of some of us,” Alex said curling in on himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, it’s been hard on you? Reggie can’t see his parents and he has nowhere to go. Some of us aren’t lucky Alex, maybe we should find a new drummer,” Luke said. Julie and Reggie looked up in shock. Alex felt tears prick at the edge of his eyes no matter how much he insisted that he wasn’t an emotional person, he was the most sensitive out of the group.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe you should.” Alex just poofed out of the room and Luke stared at where he used to be before sinking to the ground on his knees not crying but mourning the loss of his friend. Reggie reached out to touch his shoulder but he got up and stormed out of the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Julie looked around her feeling tears come to her eyes and flow over. “Alex never had the most freedom, his parents were crazy religious and that showed when he came out to them a few days before we played the Orpheum. They almost didn’t let him go but he snuck out and they figured that they couldn’t stop him.” Reggie stopped to breathe. “Alex was always shy, reserved but Luke brought out, what does Flynn like to call it? His inner queen? Yeah, but the point is he broke out of his shell and now that he;s no longer in the band, he’s going to feel like letting that out somewhere. I just hope it’s not with Caleb. Alex never told Luke that he’s been looking for Willie while testing out the new limitations of his body. He’s worried about him and he has the right to be. I hope he doesn’t do something he regrets.” Reggie looked down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’ll come back to us eventually, I know it,” Julie said sitting down next to Reggie who smiled up at her. They both reminded themselves to make Luke pay later.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Alex sat on a leather couch in a big house, Bobby’s house watching Carrie rehearse with her dancers. She never yelled at them despite her rough exterior.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It would be so much cooler if we had a guy in the group,” Kayla said sighing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s run it again, it has to be perfect,” Carrie said helping her friends stand again to practice one more time. Alex bounced slightly wanting to join this time and standing behind Carrie. She walked forward and Alex followed and snaked left swerving her right leg slightly bouncing to the music and Alex did the opposite going down further than her. He copied all her moves keeping up adding his own flair when he could before crashing back on her couch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Man it would be so fun to dance with them all the time,” Alex said watching as the girls clapped excitedly for themselves. Alex poofed up to the rooftop looking over the city. He wanted to hear distant wheels of a skateboard and rest his head on a strong shoulder attached to a head that wasn’t afraid of getting him out of his comfort zone. That guy would have said go for it. Dance with the girls cause you can do anything you put your mind to Hotdog. Alex wiped a tear from his eye looking back out at the city one more time. He didn’t know where to go so he stayed on the roof laying back looking at the stars.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Carrie woke up in the morning and found a body of a boy outside her house. He couldn’t have been much younger than her. She called out to her dad who ran outside and carried the boy in placing him on the couch before taking a closer look at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alex?” Trevor asked and he told Carrie to get dressed for school. Alex groaned going to sit up but hitting Trevor in the head with his own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bobby?” Alex asked holding his head which now hurt just a bit from slamming it into Bobby’s head. Carrie walked down the stairs and out to her car giving the boy on her couch one last worried glance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Have a nice day at school sweetheart,” Trevor said and Alex tried his best not to laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tell me how he turns out ok?” Carrie asked and her father gave a nod as she walked out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She seems nice,” Alex said and Bobby gave him a stern look. “You know I’m gay,” Alex gave him a look back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just tell me why you’re here,” Bobby said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have nowhere to go, Luke kicked me out of the band, I can’t go back to Caleb cause he’ll just use me to get the others, I can’t find Willie so I came to you cause you’re still my friend even if we all died,” Alex said and he started to feel tears roll down his face again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Luke is an asshole, you can stay here as long as you want, Carrie has always wanted a brother,” Bobby said ruffling Alex’s hair smiling a little.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Really?” Alex asked and Bobby nodded gesturing for him to follow upstairs. There was a spare room it was a nice rose color with a king bed and clothes that wouldn’t fit Alex but they could fix that later. Alex hugged Bobby as tight as he could and Bobby just hugged him back feeling tears well in his eyes at the sight of at least one of his friends coming to see him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Julie walked into school and saw that Carrie looked a little out of it. She wasn’t terrorizing Flynn and Julie like she normally was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She seems a little more like an airhead than usual,” Flynn said laughing and Carrie heard and just stomped off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s something up with her,” Julie said and Luke poofed in with Reggie not that far behind. “Did you find him?” Julie said looking at Flynn so she wasn’t called crazy… again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We can’t find Alex anywhere, it’s like he’s gone. We haven’t checked Caleb’s and we don’t know where Willie would be but at this point we have to assume the worst and just say he’s with Caleb working for him for eternity to get away from us.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Carrie had snuck around back to listen to Julie’s one-sided conversation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Poor Alex, this is all your fault Luke, you have to keep looking for him,” Julie said getting pissed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ve searched everywhere even clubs that he would be too young to get into anyway.” Luke and Reggie just poofed away when she directed an anger flued gaze at them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, Alex is missing, what are you going to do without a drummer?” Flynn asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know but I’m worried about him, Luke blew up at him yesterday cause Alex misses his boyfriend who is missing by the way,” Julie said and Flynn just slammed her head into a wall. The two made it through classes with the boys in the back watching them begging for forgiveness silently. They truly had no idea that Alex was having the time of his life or well afterlife at least.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Bobby took Alex through stores and even though Alex said he didn’t need anything, he told him that unless he wanted Carrie to take him shopping he better at least pick out a few shirts and pants. Pink shirts, white ripped jeans, pink Adidas sneakers, and caps were brought into the house and Carrie arrived home at the same time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Carrie, meet Alex, Alex this is Carrie.” The two shook hands and Alex just looked nervously at the ground after letting go of her hand. “Alex, do you mind going upstairs and putting this stuff away while I talk to Carrie for a bit?” Bobby asked and Alex nodded, getting that he needed to talk to his daughter about this huge change.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s going on dad?” Carried asked hoping that Alex was going to stay with them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alex ran away from home, his parents don’t approve of some of his choices in who he gets involved with romantically. His father is an old friend of mine but obviously we share a few differences in our view on the way the world works.” Carrie looked at her father in shock, he had never shown that much compassion for someone other than Julie and Rosa when she was alive.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I go see him?” Carrie asked not even waiting for permission running up the stairs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah just be nice!” Trevor yelled after his daughter knowing how easily frightened Alex could be.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Carrie stood outside Alex’s room and looked through the door hearing a song on and saw the boy dancing, he was good. Carrie watched as he struck a pose before clapping walking in as he adjusted himself shying away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, that was good, you have a few technique flaws but we can work those out if you want to join my group. It might help you come out of your shell a little more than you are now,” Carrie said walking over to the boy who was sitting on the edge of the bed head in his hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you sure you want me?” Alex asked looking up at her from the bed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Positive, now let’s get you ready for practice.” Carrie pulled him up and he laughed a little relieved. Carrie was so nice to him and he knew why, she had a little Bobby in her and that part of her was shining through with him just like it did with Bobby. He never got mad about Alex liking guys it just meant more girls for Bobby. She was just like him and at that point Alex only cared that he didn’t mess up the choreography.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stood in the living room in front of four girls his hand glued to Carrie’s. He gulped and the girls just ran up to him hugging him jumping a little.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s fix everything.” Alex had no idea how much those words meant to him on a deeper level.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Key to Paradise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alex questions if dancing was really the right choice. Luke and Reggie hatch a plan to get Alex back from Carrie. Julie and Carrie just want Alex to do what he wants with his life. Alex just wants a family who loves him and maybe even someone to love him in a way that a family can't. Being in the back was easy, being up in the front is harder in a way that can't even be comprehended.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am a dance teacher so I don't know if I should use the lingo for the business so I dulled descriptions down for this chapter. I love the hip hop type of dance and when song picking comes around I'm totally picking Now or Never or Wow for my kids' dance cause they are total bops. So yeah thanks for all the love in one day. this might be a longer fic with lots of dance terminology so hope you guys feel like learning something new and if not then that's totally cool or I could just keep dulling stuff out. I haven't really decided yet. I'm doing parts of songs from Kenny's stuff for chapter titles but they aren't going to be direct quotes from songs, stuff will alway be changed. Maybe it will be fun to guess the song or something like that. Who knows just have fun reading that's all I ask.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Carrie strutted to the front going over moves. “Ok you enter.” Alex walked in from the back like Carrie did instead of poofing in. “Go low and I’ll go high.” The directions were easy to follow and soon he had the entire dance down. “Now for lyrics, Alex do you feel comfortable singing this song with some solo parts?” Carrie asked and Alex nodded. She started going over music again and the other girls practiced smiling at him. He thought they would have hated him. Highlighted lines were his and she turned on the recording and they ran the dance again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What time should we be there tomorrow?” Kayla asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Six for one more practice here and then you and I will drive the others there sound good?” Carrie asked the girls who left after and all gave Alex a hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was there when you guys sang this song for the first time, I’m sorry that you didn’t get the deal that you worked so hard for,” Alex said trying not to sound like a stalker.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks Alex, let’s figure out what you’re going to wear tomorrow,” Carrie said escorting him to his room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Morning came faster than Alex would have liked. He was anxious, Carrie didn’t have any classes with Julie besides music and Bobby had worked so hard to get him into the program the previous night. He was under the name Alex Wilson and he didn’t really have a problem with that. Carrie had picked out a light pink cap, short light pink shirt, black tight ripped jeans, and his new pink Adidas. He walked down to the table and saw Carrie was wearing almost the same thing sans the hat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Looking good kids,” Bobby said trying not to laugh at Alex’s face when he saw his daughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on Alex, grab some breakfast and we can get going to pick up Kayla,” Carrie said walking out of the room and Bobby leaned in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can eat right?” Alex laughed, one thing that he learned was that ghosts could eat but didn’t have to if they could become tangible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If I want to yeah,” Alex said grabbing a piece of toast and following Carrie to the car grabbing a book bag that was handed to him by a woman smiling at her through the toast in his mouth and leaving jumping into Carrie’s convertible in the back seat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Having a good day?” Carrie asked smiling back at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah,” Alex said and the car started and he laughed as music started drumming along on the back of the passenger’s seat. Kayla waved to Alex stepping into the front seat looking back to talk to Alex.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Julie cried all the way to school. She missed Alex more than she thought she would and Flynn with a hand on her back drove her to school with the two ghost boys in the back. Luke had tears running down his face as well and Reggie just looked out the window searching for Alex, he didn’t think that he would actually find him in a car next to him with two girls dancing in their seats to a pop song. Reggie tried to get Luke’s attention but the other boy was just staring out his window and when Reggie looked back over, the car was gone and in the parking lot of the school.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alex got out of the car and sighed adjusting the straps on his backpack and smiling over at Carrie when she offered her hand and he placed his in hers feeling right. The two walked into the school and all eyes were on them. Everything felt tight all of a sudden, his clothes, his heart, his hand in Carrie’s. “He’s Carrie’s new brother right?” One kid asked whispering and another nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s kind of cute,” another girl said swooning slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s obviously gay genious.” another shoved the previous girl flicking her on the head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Carrie marched over to Julie’s locker and Alex lowered his hat not wanting to face Julie where she could yell at him. Julie was standing with Flynn talking about him, they were talking about trying to find Alex, they thought he was missing. Carrie cleared her throat and Julie gasped back hitting the locker.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alex?” Julie asked eyes tearing up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cool, you know my brother,” Carrie said rolling her eyes. “Kayla, could you take ‘Lex somewhere else so Julie and I can have a little talk?” Carrie asked her closest friend and she nodded pulling Alex off with her. “I know that he’s one of your little holograms but what I don’t know is what you did to make him so sad and not a hologram anymore, my father laughed for the first time in a long time with Alex around yesterday and you need to get over yourself cause he likes being himself around us. Try and take him back, I dare you. I actually care about him enough to get him out from behind the drums and on his feet which is where he belongs. None of that matters though, I want him to be happy and it’s clear that that was not the intent of your holograms you call bandmates, so stay out of our way and we won’t have a problem,” Carrie growled defending Alex.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Julie was shocked that Carrie wasn’t just using Alex.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We need to get him back!” Luke said running after Carrie and Reggie just pulled him back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you see how happy he was with Carrie? Do you really want to wreck that so soon?” Reggie asked. “He has a new family, even if it is with Bobby,” Reggie added and Julie nodded along.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If he wants to try something new, who are we to stop him and maybe we should work on ourselves for a while, we played at one of the biggest places in LA, maybe that’s enough for now and we should all figure out what we’re going to do without Alex in our lives until he’s ready,” Julie suggested. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should at least see them perform tonight,” Luke suggested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good idea,” Reggie said before the two gave Julie their puppy eyes and she gave in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can go to see them but you two have to be supportive and maybe we can play later,” Julie said and Flynn sighed. Luke and Reggie poofed off excited.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you really just give into them again?” Flynn asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They gave me the eyes, plus seeing Alex perform won’t be the worst thing, he was pretty funny the first time and actually pretty good now that I think about it,” Julie said thinking back to the classic club moves that were always seen in movies that Alex pulled behind Carrie walking through her like the queen he is.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shouldn’t you be worried then?” Flynn asked wondering what was getting into her best friend, no drummer means no band.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should get ready for tonight,” Julie said walking to class.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, mentally cause this is going to scar you for life, business wise,” Flynn added following quickly behind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke and Reggie followed behind Alex and Carrie and the two stopped when Alex started crying. It wasn’t something that they hadn’t seen yet but it hurt cause they knew the reason behind it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alex?” Carrie asked holding his face trying to get him to look at her. “You know my room is right next to yours and I heard you crying all night last night?” Carrie asked and Alex looked at her shocked. “I used to hate the idea of change and it would always make me wonder why and then my dad told me why I was scared and that was because he taught me to hate change because three of his friends died the night of a performance. He told me about a friend who got dragged into the business and loved every second of it. It brought out the real him, that’s you Alex, that’s who you need to be,” Carrie said and Alex hugged her tight just sobbing. When he pulled away, he smiled down at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s kick some ghost ass tonight,” Alex said smiling at her with an arm around her making it to class just in time. Luke and Reggie just stared after the skipping siblings.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We never did anything to help him like that, why did we never do anything for him?” Reggie asked panicking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know we just never helped him out the way that we should have I guess, we were all too busy with our own problems and never paid any attention to Alex’s issues. I was worried about being able to play another day, you were worried about your parents, I have no idea what Bobby was worried about but Alex, he must have had a rough time without us there for him, like really there for him. He came out to his parents and then cried for three days up until what was supposed to be the concert and we just treated it like nothing. We’re such assholes!” Luke yelled kicking a locker leg going right through.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I tried to help Alex so maybe just you for the asshole move even if Bobby wanted every girl in the universe he even cares for Alex more than we did in the past,” Raggie said looking down before looking back up with his idea face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no ideas,” Luke said but Reggie was already gone but he poofed back soon after cause he never told Luke the plan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What if we talk to Bobby on how to get Alex back?” Reggie asked and Luke nodded his head along with the idea. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not bad,” Luke said giving Reggie a high five.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>School ended and Alex was riding shotgun with two girls in the back he learned their names were Maddie and CJ aka yellow and and blue. Kayla and Bridgette were in the other car driving back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Practice went well and they were soon in costume and on their way to a venue playing last. Alex loved his outfit, it matched Carrie’s but it was a lighter pink. He wore a white tank top, light pink see-thru jacket, sliver sparkling pants, and light pink shoes with a light pink cap. They walked in the performance before theirs and when they were announced, Carrie walked up to the stage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey everyone, we’re Dirty Candy with a new member my brother Alex,” Carrie said and people started cheering for him and Carrie put on her sunglasses. The music started and the other girls started walking up on the stage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Whenever I walk in the room all the focus on me.The way I talk, the way I move, they all want on my team. Not tryin' to brag, brag, but I'm flawless I'm taking over your playlist ain't perfect but I can't miss, yeah.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Alex walked up to the front of the stage beside Carrie snaking opposite of her body rolling back up starting to sing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>The party don't start till I walk in, I'm stealing all the attention. Don't get me started on mentions, yeah.</b>
  <span>” Alex was dancing like a pro and he was soaking in all the attention before sharing it with his sister singing with her walking over to the opposite side of the stage from her getting low while she got high.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>
    <em>Some might say I sound conceited they don't get the shine that I get. Some get jealous, they can't help it they wish they were me, oh.</em>
  </b>
  <span>” They came together walking around the other in a circle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I keep the party going all night, all night. I set the trends that you all like, all like.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Carrie pointed over to Alex to sing his part.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>I make an entrance when I don't try, don't try 'cause all I see is all eyes on me.</b>
  <span>” Alex pointed back at Carrie before getting down with the rest of the group breaking it down harder than he had ever broken it down before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>When I grow up I wanna be me, be me. I'm my own goals just talking honestly. Must have won the lottery ain't no one as hot as me.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>Stealing looks, it's robbery. Everywhere I go all eyes on me.</b>
  <span>” The girls got in a line and Alex ran around them bouncing in the air at the end of his line walking up to the front to meet up with Carrie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>
    <em>I only lead, I never follow, follow. I never open 'cause it's my show, my show. Don't know if people think I'm shallow, shallow but all I see is all eyes on me!</em>
  </b>
  <span>” The girls struck a pose as Alex went off in his own world posing on his own soaking in the applause. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Julie was watching with Flynn debating on how hard she was going to hit Luke and Reggie for missing Alex’s first dance performance and his voice was better than Julie had ever heard with him singing backup.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Reggie sat across from Bobby asking him for the seventh time how to make things right with Alex. The door swung open and Alex and Carrie came running in, Alex falling back on the couch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My heart is racing, that was something I have never felt before in my life, that was more of a rush than I’ve ever gotten playing the drums,” Alex said legs pumping in the air along with his fists and Carrie giggled at his actions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were awesome, you’ve got to come see us next time dad,” Carrie said and Bobby nodded smiling walking into the next room where Reggie and Luke were standing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s made his choice, he has never felt a rush like this before, his words not mine. Sorry boys but I’ve go to go congratulate him and help him get to sleep and actually sleep not cry for six hours and wake up after five minutes of sleep even if it’s not important for your kind, it’s important for any teenager,” Bobby said glaring at the intruders who poofed out in disappointment. Trevor walked back out to his kids chatting happily on the couch, this is how it should be. Alex wasn’t anxious, Carrie was happy, and Trevor was at peace for the first time in twenty-five years. The three just sat there hugging for a while before Carrie offered to take Alex upstairs and Trevor nodded giving Alex one last hug before sending the boy up to his room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alex looked up at his ceiling smiling and Carrie gave a speech about her only being one door down if he needed anything and that meant anything at all. The lights went out and Alex couldn’t stop smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for everything you’ve ever done for me. I know this is what I was meant to do,” Alex said closing his eyes before hearing a slight bang of a drum before a full on drum solo was playing in his ears. He knew who it was, it was himself. The him from before he knew what he wanted with his life. Past Alex looked at his future self.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure this is what you wanted?” he asked himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope you know what you’re doing, this is our life after all.” The past disappeared and Alex just stared at the floor and sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t help what I want. I want this, I want family, I want to be in the spotlight, not stuck behind a drum set. Drums might have been my passion in the past but people love me either way,” Alex said to himself before laying back on the bed breathing out heavily. “This is what I want.”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
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</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Standing Proud</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yes this story is still going! Please check out the other works in this series too cause they are all about different things and I'm sure you'll enjoy them! If you would like to work on a collab or say hi then please feel free to add me on Snapchat: zams-trash</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Carrie squealed, like actually squealed. They were going to perform at a pride concert and gave her a list of songs to choose from. Carrie called a meeting standing in front of the girls and Alex telling them the news.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you serious?” Kayla asked smile spreading over her face. Bridgette stood up jumping in the air in little circles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What song are we doing?” CJ asked trying to keep her composure and Maddie was still silently screaming into her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It might not be the actual pride festival but he said that thousands of people would be there,” Carrie informed before looking back through the list. “I think I know our song, we need to start practicing now,” Carrie said and the girls hopped up and Alex stood next to her hiding a smile behind his fist. “Ok, clap up right and lean to the left then other way, now down make sure your butt is out now other way!” Carrie called out and then she dragged Alex in the front. “Do it opposite so go down and clap left then do it the other way,” Carrie said and the five did it together. “This is going to be awesome,” Carrie added before continuing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luke paced the room waiting for Julie to come in and give him the news on something big that was happening. Reggie plucked out notes on his bass looking calm as ever. The door swung open and Julie ran a hand through her hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was Flynn, she’s helping with a pride concert this year and on the line up is Dirty Candy, if they go on this Saturday then there’s no way that they’re not getting a record deal and then we lose Alex for good,” Julie said before her phone went off signaling an Instagram Live from Alex Wilson. She clicked on it and Alex’s voice rang through the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ok so some of you might have heard the news but Dirty Candy is going to be performing at a pride concert this year so if you support our rights then get on out here and come see the show,” Alex said smiling widely before standing up and putting his phone down on the ground angled up at him and the other girls from Dirty Candy. “Just a little sneak peek,” Alex added winking and music started. They all started clapping and Alex dropped on his left knee right arm resting on his left knee sinking back snapping once before jumping up to his feet leaning his body left then right then back left dropping into a squat and out onto his left leg body rolling then pointing to the girl before turning back and walking through them, they had their legs up holding the heel of their foot with the other arm and the top of their bodies dropped when he turned around and snapped and the music stopped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“YES!” a voice yelled from behind the phone and the others laughed. Alex reached down to grab his phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Be sure to come see us if you want more of that cause we’re just getting started, we’re Dirty Candy, tell your friends,” Alex said winking before the live went out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Julie stood there in shock and Reggie’s jaw was on the floor, Luke just crossed his arms trying to act like it wasn’t that impressive.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who knew Alex could break it down that hard?” Reggie asked and Julie raised her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you were at the show you would have known that he has some serious talent when he’s not just joking around,” Julie said glaring at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We were talking to Bobby about how to get Alex back but we even heard Alex say that he was happy there, we’re not getting him back,” Luke said flopping down on the couch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The best we can do is try to make peace with him,” Reggie added to Luke’s sad sentiment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Julie’s phone went off again, it was a message from Alex.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glad you saw my live, did the guys see it too? Don’t tell them but I might miss them just a little, well I miss Reggie a bunch but I’m still kind of mad at Luke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Julie giggled messaging him back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They saw it, Reggie was very impressed and so am I, they miss you too I promise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A knock on the door startled her and she opened the door seeing a ghost with long brown hair standing there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was just watching a live over a lifer’s shoulder and I saw someone who looked a lot like Alex dancing with a group of girls,” Willie said eyebrows raised at Luke and Reggie expecting an answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Luke got mad at Alex cause he’s been missing rehearsals to look for you and he kicked him out of the band do Alex went to the house of our former bandmate and now he got adopted by him and dances in a group called Dirty Candy,” Reggie explained and Willie’s eyes were angry and confused as he marched over to Luke grabbing him by the front of his shirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You kicked Alex out because he was missing a few rehearsals when you know that he’s talented and that he was just trying to find someone, you are his friend, that was a dick move Luke and I’m not even slightly surprised that Alex moved on to something better than this little club that seemed to treat him like an accessory, I saw how you guys treated him at the club or how you paid him no attention during performances. Question answered, I’m going to go find Alex,” Willie said poofing out and Luke fell on the ground sighing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willie has a point however bluntly her put it, we didn’t treat Alex the best, we never really listened to him either cause he wasn’t in the front,” Reggie pointed out head in his hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We have to try and make things right.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wille walked through the door of a huge house looking in different rooms and saw a room with a light pink wall the rest were white with a big bed, caps hanging on hooks and a pink hoodie thrown over a chair. Willie walked in and sat on the bed and heard footsteps coming and the door opened. Alex was standing there with a glass of water before looking up and seeing Willie sitting upright on his bed. Alex dropped the glass on the floor, mouth open in shock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Willie?” Aelx asked a little unsure that he wasn't just seeing things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it’s me,” Willie said standing up and Alex ran into his arms resting his forehead on Willie’s shoulder feeling happy tears roll down his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Carrie and Kayla sat in Carrie’s room. Kayla had noticed that Carrie had been acting weird lately, especially around her. Carrie sighed before turning around to look at her friend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to tell you something,” Carrie said playing with a ring on her pointer finger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re gay?” Kayla asked and Carrie’s eyes widened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, well yes but that’s not what I wanted to tell you. My brother Alex is actually a ghost and a former member of a ghost band, Julie’s band,” Carrie said and Kayla was shocked at two things, her friend just admitted that she’s gay and her friend is going insaine. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s crazy,” Kayla said and Carrie just started pacing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s what I thought but do you notice how Julie always has these conversations with herself?” Kalya nodded. “She’s talking to her ghost band, Alex told me everything like how they can be seen when they want to now and a bunch of other stuff. I just felt bad keeping it from you,” Carrie said and Kayla just hugged her friend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad you told me,” she said and Carrie squeezed back just enjoying the time with her friend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Everything just got so much easier.”</span>
</p><p>
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</p>
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